Linda’s Design Dilemma

Linda’s family room is pretty much a blank canvas waiting for some love. Here’s her letter:

I’m so glad that waking up early paid off and I scored a mood board, woo hoo! We REALLY need some help in our family room so we actually have a comfortable space to hang out. My hubby would really like two sofas & preferably one with a chaise lounge to kick his feet up on, and maybe even a cozy chair but I can’t wait to see what you think our room is actually capable of. We’re a fan of classic styles (clean lines, not too overstuffed, not too modern). A touch of glamour is nice too. We like stores like Crate & Barrel as well as Z Gallerie, JC Penney, and even Target (we’re not big fans of Ikea since we want items that are a bit more solid- even if that means paying more). The only think we want to keep is the TV. The our sad “drapes” and the couch can go for sure (it’s way to light to survive any future kids). We just painted the walls a couple of months ago so we’d prefer to keep them. We love neutrals like browns, black, grays (our usual go to accent color is red, but we’re open to anything). On the fireplace wall we’re planning to have our carpenter create built-ins so we have storage for things like our DVD player. We aren’t sure yet if we just want storage below the mantel or if we want a whole built-in wall unit with closed storage below and bookshelves above the cabinets that go to the ceiling (advice?). Oh and we need some sort of tile for our fireplace. Thanks for everything! – Linda

This room won’t be bare for long. Here’s the plan:

And here’s the new layout suggestion:

Now for the mood board breakdown.

1. Our color scheme for this formerly bare space will have lots of chocolate, tan and cream with pops of red and turquoise to keep things warm and welcoming. These layered neutrals and punches of color will really complement the soft tan walls for a dimensional and inviting effect.

2. Here’s the amazing that we hunted down for the fireplace. It’s a little bit glam yet nice and neutral in tone (it’ll go with anything) so we definitely think Linda should checking it out in person and then take home a box to do the whole fireplace in one fell swoop if it’s as lovely in person as it looks online.

3. Here’s the clean-lined and classic that we found with a generously sized chaise lounge for kicking back and relaxing. The dark color is both kid-friendly and elegant- a few will add even more hness and inviting texture.

4. We’ll use a few dashes of turquoise sparingly in this expansive room, but they’ll definitely add to the ambiance and the atmosphere. We’d love to see three of these on one side of the mantel (to the right of the TV) and the other one on the left side for a bit of chic asymmetry. And speaking of the fireplace, Linda asked for our opinion on the built-in situation so we would suggest going all the way to the ceiling (with concealed storage under the mantel and open bookcases above it) for maximum function and height in the room. It’ll really look luxe and lovely and we love that Linda will be able to hide all of her TV components for a clean and streamlined look.

5. When it comes to art Linda has two blank walls to fill in her generously sized space, so we’d love to see two of these classic and geometric votive next to each other on the long wall across from the sliding doors and three of these (with every color in our palette) hanging in a row about 6″ from each other on the wall across from the fireplace. Oh and since they only make two different prints, ordering the first one twice and rotating it 180 degrees before hanging it will mimic the look of three varied art pieces.

6. We already mentioned that luxe red velvet cushions will make the clean-lined sofa feel both classic and cozy, so bringing in (on sale!) to flank the sliding doors will add even more of that inviting texture while tying into the sofa (and offering more kid-friendly dark colors). Plus punching up the light neutral walls with dramatic deep chocolate panels will add dimension, balance and some great height-accentuating detail to that side of the room (since there are nice tall doorways on the other two walls and those ceiling-height built-ins will be going in around the fireplace).

7. Although Linda mentioned the desire for two sofas (one with a chaise) we just couldn’t make them work in the space without awkwardly blocking the fireplace, the sliders, or the entrances to the room. So we dug up two h and generously sized armchairs to flank the fireplace which will create more eye-pleasing balance in the room while still offering plenty of seating (since most sofas only facilitate two or three guests anyway). The rich wheat color of (in Dijon) will really layer in wonderfully with the neutral tones in the wall, the coffee table and the rug along with the deeper chocolate tones of the sofa and the curtains. Yum. Oh and for a dash of that glamour that Linda loves, we dug up these great (on sale!) to be placed next to each chair for a bit of sparkle and classic-yet-dramatic polish in the space.

8. Here’s the aforementioned with a nice kid-safe and totally wipeable tufted leather top. It feels elegant and is generously sized enough to balance the large sectional and the armchairs on the other side of the room- it’s $100 off!

9. Perhaps the most chic-infusing item on our entire mood board, this large and lovely will ground the floating seating area and create a warm and cohesive effect. We love that the colors in the rug tie into everything from the existing wall tone to the new chair, sofa, and coffee table. And the insane markdown (it’s 75% off, which will save Linda over $1,300!) is as jawdropping as they come.

So there you have it. A family room full of classic and inviting style- with a dash of glamour. We can’t wait to see what you guys think!

Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!

Comments

Love the addition of the turquoise, unexpected but really sharp. The only issue I have is the lack of task lighting. There are overhead lights, but no lamps if someone wants to read/do a crossword puzzle/etc. I’m wondering if an arc lamp could work in here. Or maybe adding a sofa table with some lamps.

The room has a ton of overhead can lights so we didn’t troll around for a bunch of task lights when it came to this space. Of course they could be added in any number of locations (small ones on the mirrored side tables by the chairs would be sweet, and even a console table behind the sofa would work with two larger scale showstopping lamps. As you mentioned, an arc lamp would also be great in here- it could be placed in the back corner behind the chaise part of the sofa so it arches over the seating area. Hope it helps!

Christine: When we were working on my house, we made sure the overhead lighting was ample (the lights are on different switches and dimmers so you have more control) because we didn’t want all these lamps around the room…we figured they would just be one more thing for a baby to pull on and get hurt. So, we really don’t mind that lamps weren’t included in this design. :)

Love that rug! Hey, do you guys have a suggestion for a cute, but super durable rug for a dining area? We need something to muffle the noise of our near two year old (neighbors downstairs – not too keen on the noise), but I’m dreading, dreading, dreading the beating this thing is going to take. I need something that can handle everything from turned over cereal to apple juice to maple syrup. Sigh. . Oh the things you have to look forward to!
x,
Paula

We love natural fibers like jute and other woven rugs under a dining table. They’re super durable to stains and spills (since they’re made of straw-like fibers, water and crumbs just wick right off of them like they would off of a straw broom). It will definitely muffle noise and add lots of texture, and on overstock.com there are lots of affordable options. Something thick and braided would offer the most softness, durability, and noise-reduction. Hope it helps!

I love this moodboard! I think the reason I love it so much is that my family room is done in the exact same colors. I love the art you found; I may even order some for myself to hang above my sofa. Wondeful job as always!

I especially like the choice of tile for the fireplace and the interesting shapes/finish of the vases for a classy bit of dazzle, amid the neutral backdrop. (Of course, it helps that the House of Turquoise blog has me jonesing for turquoise now, but the colors are lovely regardless!)

I really MUST check out Z Gallerie more often. I always like the things you find there. (On a shopping note, I’ve lately had good luck with the prontohome.com site, which aggregates finds from multiple home furnishings sites. And have belatedly begun buying from Overstock and ebay, like the rest of the civilized world, LOL.)

And no need to paint the walls for this makeover, eh? What a bonus!! That’s like found money AND a vacation weekend in one! Woo hoo!

Love, love, love it! That coffee table is to die for! Wish I had someplace to put it. I also love those votive wall hangings you sometimes include in your mood boards, but I’m always wondering, do people actually use them (as in light the candles all the time)?

We definitely light candles around the house – especially on Sunday nights when we’re trying to savor the weekend or when we’re entertaining. Are we the only ones? Does anyone else enjoy lighting votives? Candle sconces? Do tell.

****Can I have your old couch?****
Just kidding….but seriously, can you tell me where you purchased the couch you’re looking to get rid of? I’m looking for exactly that style — contemporary profile — with ONE cushion only. Can you share your source?

Do you like that style sofa with the chaise over a small sectional (a two seater with corner and then a two seater)? I need a small sectional and debating about the sofa with chaise vs. the sectional. Just can’t figure out if the sofa with chaise is awkward. Would the chaise piece really get used….leaving two people to have to squeeze on the two-cushion part of the sofa most of the time?

Good question! It’s all totally dependent on the room and how you intend to use the sectional. In Linda’s case her husband requested a chaise so he could sprawl out (and since no one would need to sit on the chaise area and face the other wall (since it’s just an art wall and the area where people pass through the room) there’s no need to have a sectional with a corner that turns 90% and has a back for seating that faces a second wall).

If this room had a fireplace on one wall and a TV on another wall (like this room) then a sectional with a back instead of a chaise would definitely make more sense because people would benefit from facing both focal walls. Hope it helps!

Those chairs are killer at twice that price! They look like something you’d see in a 40s era movie scene in a corporate boardroom. They will look so chic, almost art deco, flanking the pearlized tile of the fireplace. Great too with that luxy coffee table and the glam occasional tables.

I love that you went with the accent color red (with the turquoise) instead of the usual orange or russet. The red brings the brown in the room to life in a way that an orange color would not.

I also love the geometric lines in the items you’ve chosen– the wall candleholder, the rug, and those fab occasional tables!

Just a note for the comment above by Paula in regards to a durable rug… I agree natural fibers are great and jute is beautiful! However, we discovered just LAST week that they can’t withstand kids. Our son had an upheaval on his Pottery Barn kids jute rug. Instead of wicking away, the ‘yuck’ smooshed into the fibers and despite washing, it had to be thrown away!! Sisal might be a better option, at little easier to clean??!!!

Thanks for the mom-on-the-front-lines report Kate! The tip is much appreciated! We definitely have had great luck with our braided jute rug when it comes to puppy stains (pee, dirt, and even the occasional #2 incident) so you’re definitely right about certain natural fibers or weaves working better than others. Ours could literally be taken outside and hosed off or shaken out to remove everything that threatened our sanity back when we were training Burger. Perhaps looking into “washing instructions” to be sure that certain things can be totally wetted down may indicate how well they’ll stand up to wee ones? Hope it helps!

Sandy: The sofa comes from a local place here in California called The Sofa Outlet () and they are awesome because they let you customize a bunch of their stuff!

We really love the couch, but as soon as it showed up at our door, we realized it was too light for our tastes. Glad so many of you love it, we really do want it to go to another great home, so you all give me hope that it will! :)

just a quick question…do clients or yourselves ever find that your suggestions sourced online end up looking wrong in the room. I mean no offence its just I am afraid to purchase big items on line in case they look completely diff in the flesh (so to speak)….Some U.S. items I have found can be shipped to Australia but not sure if I would risk going to all this trouble (shipping & all).

P.S. Are there any other Aussies apart from me on this site? C’mon Aussies any great finds to share?

Good question! Ordering online is something that we actually do a lot of, so we have a few tips to pass along:

1. We always always always read the reviews that people write about something (sometimes they can indicate if a color is darker or lighter in person, if an item is smaller than it looks in the pic, etc).

2. We also try to view as many items in person before we suggest them for mood boards (or order them for ourselves) if at all possible (we check out nearly all the curtains, pillows, and other smaller accessories along with most of the sofas and dining tables/chairs that we link to so we can usually recall their true size/color/quality etc).

3. The other great thing about online ordering these days is that more and more companies are offering free shipping (you can even google around for “discount codes”). Plus, in order to encourage more shopping they usually offer 100% money-back returns (which even covers the cost of shipping the item back to them if you’re unhappy with it).

i think the fireplace needs a little sometin’ sometin’! it’s a lil boring the TV is bigger than the fireplace which to me looks a little disproporationate. i think they should add some weight/scale to the fireplace to balance it out w/ that huge tv!

They’ll actually be adding floor to ceiling built-ins to flank the fireplace so it’ll be a nice focal wall with lots of height and architecture to take the focus off that TV and add a lot more balance. Hope it helps!

Either a 9 x 12′ or an 8 x 13′ rug would work. The key is just to get something large enough for a sectional to comfortably sit on without making it feel crowded- so it matters less about the main room size and more about the furniture arrangement that will sit on it. Hope it helps!

Just a note for anyone ordering the rug – we just got it for our bedroom, and while the description says “gold, beige, and bronze,” the actual rug is more…brown, camel, and grayish khaki!! Cool tones instead of warm – totally didn’t show up that way on my computer screen, either. Regardless, it’s gorgeous!!

Fortunately, we ordered the rug before we painted, so we’re just shifting to a cooler tone, but it was definitely unexpected!

So sorry about the mix up. Actually in her letter Linda writes that she wants to keep the wall color, so in the case of this mood board we didn’t recommend any paint for her since she wanted to maintain the current color. However Linda actually dropped in with the paint info for another commenter, so if you scroll back through the comments you can see that the color is Tortilla by Kelly Moore. Hope it helps!

The built-ins are being worked on at the moment, so it’s not done yet. But I read another comment about throwing a sectional into the room. Do you think the room could handle it? If so, what kind would you recommend buying and how would you position it in the room?

So glad to hear that everything’s coming along! And you know, we originally thought that a big sectional would be the way to go with such a large seating area but there was no good way for us to place it without feeling like we were blocking something. No matter where we moved it around on paper, it always felt like it was either blocking the pass-through part of the room (which you definitely want to feel open and not like a narrow corridor) or the fireplace (not good!) or the gorgeous sliders on the left. That’s why after we considered that option we moved on to the floor plan and the furnishings that we suggested above – just for a more open layout with style, function and balance to spare. Hope it helps!

That’s the problem we kept running into when trying to figure out what to do with our room, glad to know we were on the right track! We are hoping to get some shopping done next week and can’t wait to get our room closer to completion. Thanks again! :)